<p> TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD</p><p>STUDY GUIDE</p><p>NAME: ______</p><p>CHAPTER 1</p><p>1. What happened to Jem when he was nearly thirteen?</p><p>2. Where does this story take place?</p><p>3. Why do you think the children call their father “Atticus” rather than “Dad”?</p><p>4. What does Atticus Finch do for a living?</p><p>5. Who were Atticus’s first two clients? What happened to them? How did this case change Atticus as a lawyer?</p><p>6. What happened to the narrator’s mother? How did her death affect the narrator? How did it affect Jem?</p><p>7. Describe Dill. Why has he come to Maycomb?</p><p>8. Explain how the children spend their summer. What do they do for fun?</p><p>9. Write two examples of rumors about the Radley house and its inhabitants.</p><p>10. What did Arthur Radley do that got him in trouble? Why was Arthur locked in the Radley house?</p><p>11. What did Atticus mean when he told the children “there were other ways of making people into ghosts”?</p><p>12. Describe Miss Stephanie Crawford.</p><p>13. Describe Boo Radley, according to Jem’s description.</p><p>14. Dill and Jem make a bet at the end of this chapter. What is their deal? What does Jem do to win the bet?</p><p>CHAPTER 2</p><p>1. Describe Miss Caroline. Where is she from? Why does this make her first day as a teacher even more difficult?</p><p>2. Scout gets in trouble twice on the first day of school. What does she do to get in trouble?</p><p>3. Why won’t Walter Cunningham take Miss Caroline’s money?</p><p>4. How do the people of Maycomb “seal” contracts and deals?</p><p>5. What happens to Scout when she tells Miss Caroline about the Cunningham family?</p><p>CHAPTER 3</p><p>1. Why has Walter been unable to pass the first grade?</p><p>2. What does Walter do at dinner that surprises Scout?</p><p>3. What does Calpurnia tell Scout as a result of her outburst?</p><p>4. What do the kids first think causes Miss Caroline to scream? What is the real reason she screams?</p><p>5. What is Atticus’s solution when Scout tells him that she doesn’t want to go back to school?</p><p>6. What do we learn about the Ewell family from Scout and Atticus’s conversation? CHAPTER 4</p><p>1. What treasures do Scout and Jem find in the knothole of the tree?</p><p>2. How does Scout end up in the yard in front of the Radley house?</p><p>3. What new game do the kids create? How is it played?</p><p>4. What do we learn about the children’s belief in superstitions in this chapter? Explain their behavior.</p><p>5. Scout says that Atticus’s return was the second reason she wanted to quit playing. What was the first reason?</p><p>CHAPTER 5</p><p>1. Describe Miss Maudie.</p><p>2. What is a “foot-washing” Baptist, according to Miss Maudie?</p><p>3. What do you think Scout means when she tells Dill, “You act like you grew ten inches in the night”?</p><p>4. What is the plan to get Boo Radley to come out? How well does the plan work? Why?</p><p>CHAPTER 6</p><p>1. Describe Mr. Avery. What do the kids wait for him to do every night?</p><p>2. Why do they decide to wait until nightfall to peek into the Radley house?</p><p>3. What do the children see through the window?</p><p>4. What nickname does Jem call Scout?</p><p>5. What does Jem do after he knows Atticus is asleep? Why does he do this?</p><p>6. Why is Scout worried about him?</p><p>CHAPTER 7</p><p>1. What secret does Jem reveal to Scout?</p><p>2. What new treasures do the children find in the knothole?</p><p>3. Who does Scout think has been leaving the treasures?</p><p>4. How do the children express their appreciation?</p><p>5. Why do you think Mr. Nathan Radley told the kids that the tree was dying?</p><p>6. How does this incident affect Jem?</p><p>CHAPTER 8</p><p>1. Who died this winter?</p><p>2. Why does Scout think that the world is ending?</p><p>3. Why do the kids get in trouble for their snowman? How do they disguise it? 4. Why were the firemen having such trouble putting out the fire?</p><p>5. What happens to Scout the night of the fire?</p><p>6. How does Miss Maudie react to the fire?</p><p>CHAPTER 9</p><p>1. Why does Scout get in a fight with Cecil Jacobs?</p><p>2. Why does Atticus feel he needs to defend Tom Robinson?</p><p>3. What do you think Atticus means when he says, “Just because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us to not try to win”?</p><p>4. What do the children get for Christmas?</p><p>5. What problem does Aunt Alexandra have with the way Scout is growing up? How does she attempt to provide female influence?</p><p>6. Why does Scout get in a fight with Francis? What is the result?</p><p>7. Describe Scout’s relationship with Uncle Jack.</p><p>CHAPTER 10</p><p>1. Name five things we learn about Atticus in this chapter.</p><p>2. According to Miss Maudie, why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?</p><p>3. What does Miss Maudie teach Scout about her father?</p><p>4. Who is Tim Johnson? What is wrong with him?</p><p>5. Why does Mr. Tate give the rife to Atticus, rather than shooting the dog himself?</p><p>6. Why do Jem and Scout now have a new appreciation for Atticus?</p><p>CHAPTER 11</p><p>1. Describe Mrs. Dubose.</p><p>2. Why does Jem destroy Mrs. Dubose’s flower garden?</p><p>3. What does Atticus mean when he says, “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience—Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man”?</p><p>4. What is Jem’s punishment for ruining the flower garden?</p><p>5. Why is Mrs. Dubose so sick?</p><p>6. What does Atticus tell Jem was the one thing Mrs. Dubose wanted to do before she died?</p><p>7. What does Mrs. Dubose give Jem?</p><p>8. What is the reason Atticus wanted Jem to meet Mrs. Dubose? CHAPTER 12</p><p>1. Why is Jem so “inconsistent and moody”?</p><p>2. Why wasn’t Dill able to come to Maycomb this summer?</p><p>3. Describe Calpurnia’s church. How did the church get its name?</p><p>4. How do the people at Calpurnia’s church treat the children?</p><p>5. Why is the church collecting ten dollars?</p><p>6. Of what is Tom Robinson accused? Why won’t anyone hire his wife?</p><p>7. Who is Zeebo? What does he do at the church?</p><p>8. How does Scout feel Calpurnia is different at her own church?</p><p>CHAPTER 13</p><p>1. Why has Aunt Alexandra come to Maycomb?</p><p>2. Describe Aunt Alexandra. Why does she fit in so well in Maycomb?</p><p>3. Give a description of how Maycomb was established. Why are so many people related to each other?</p><p>4. Describe the premise of the “talk” Aunt Alexandra makes Atticus have with the children. According to Scout, why does the “talk” fail?</p><p>5. What does this conversation between Atticus and the children reveal about their relationship as a family?</p><p>CHAPTER 14</p><p>1. How do the people of Maycomb begin to treat Atticus and the children?</p><p>2. What is the premise of the argument between Atticus and Aunt Alexandra? What does Aunt Alexandra suggest? What is Atticus’s response?</p><p>3. Where does Scout find Dill?</p><p>4. What does Dill claim is the reason he ran away from home? What is the real reason?</p><p>CHAPTER 15</p><p>1. Why do the men come to talk to Atticus at his house?</p><p>2. Jem says he has “just got this feeling.” What do you think he is worried about?</p><p>3. Why do you think all the lights were off at the jailhouse except the one lamp Atticus brought from home?</p><p>4. Why is Atticus sitting in the jailhouse?</p><p>5. Why do the men tell Atticus to leave? What do they want to do to Tom?</p><p>6. Who does Scout recognize? Why do the men finally leave?</p><p>7. Who was “covering” Atticus the whole time?</p><p>8. How does Atticus show his affection towards Jem? CHAPTER 16</p><p>1. What does Atticus mean when he says that Mr. Cunningham has “blind spots”?</p><p>2. Describe the atmosphere before the trial.</p><p>3. Who is Dolphus Raymond? What do we learn about him and the way he lives his life? </p><p>4. Although Atticus has been appointed to defend Tom, the people of Maycomb are against it. Why?</p><p>5. Who helps the kids find a seat in the courtroom? Where do they sit?</p><p>6. How is the arrangement of the courtroom then different from modern courtrooms today?</p><p>CHAPTER 17</p><p>1. Why does Atticus ask whether anyone called for a doctor? Why is this important?</p><p>2. Describe Mayella’s injuries.</p><p>3. Describe the Ewells’ home and living conditions.</p><p>4. Summarize Bob Ewell’s interpretation of the incident.</p><p>5. Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write his name?</p><p>6. What do you think Jem realizes when he pounds the rail and says, “We’ve got him”?</p><p>7. What does Scout mean when she says, “I thought Jem was counting his chickens”?</p><p>CHAPTER 18</p><p>1. Why does Mayella think Atticus is mocking her?</p><p>2. What more do we learn about the Ewell family from Atticus’s cross examination?</p><p>3. Describe the “incident,” according to Mayella’s testimony.</p><p>4. What is wrong with Tom Robinson’s left arm?</p><p>5. Who does Atticus suggest actually beat up Mayella?</p><p>CHAPTER 19</p><p>1. Why does Atticus bring up the fact that Tom Robinson had been in trouble before?</p><p>2. How does Tom’s story immediately contradict Mayella’s testimony?</p><p>3. How did Mayella get Tom to come inside the house? How did she get rid of the children?</p><p>4. What did Mayella do to Tom, according to his testimony?</p><p>5. Why did Tom run away from the Ewell place? What was his predicament?</p><p>6. Who came to Tom’s defense in the courtroom? What did he say?</p><p>7. Why do you think Tom was so scared of being accused of hurting Mayella?</p><p>8. Why does Dill get so upset at Mr. Gilmer that it makes him sick? CHAPTER 20</p><p>1. Who do Dill and Scout meet outside? What do they learn about him? </p><p>2. What does Atticus do that horrifies Scout and Jem?</p><p>3. What do you think Atticus means by, “This case is as simple as black and white”?</p><p>4. How does Atticus explain that the case is not about Tom, but actually about Mayella and society?</p><p>5. What is the “lie” Atticus talks about? What is the reality that he is hoping the jury will see?</p><p>6. How does Atticus claim that we are not all created equal?</p><p>7. Ideally, in what realm is every citizen of the United States truly equal?</p><p>CHAPTER 21</p><p>1. Why does Calpurnia come to the courthouse?</p><p>2. Why do you think Atticus avoids answering Jem’s question, “Do you think they’ll acquit him that fast?”</p><p>3. Why do you think Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra were so upset that the children were watching the trial?</p><p>4. How does Scout know the verdict before it is announced?</p><p>CHAPTER 22</p><p>1. What is Jem’s reaction to the verdict?</p><p>2. What does Atticus mean when he says, “They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep”?</p><p>3. How does the black community show its appreciation for what Atticus did?</p><p>4. Why does Miss Maudie believe that appointing Atticus was no accident?</p><p>5. What did Bob Ewell do and say to Atticus?</p><p>CHAPTER 23</p><p>1. Why does Atticus defend Bob’s actions to Jem? What is Atticus’s hope?</p><p>2. What does Aunt Alexandra mean when she says that Ewell could do “something furtive” to Atticus?</p><p>3. Why was Tom given a death sentence?</p><p>4. Why did Atticus put a Cunningham on the jury?</p><p>5. Why does Aunt Alexandra object to Scout inviting Walter Cunningham to the house?</p><p>6. According to Jem, who are the “four kinds of folks” in Maycomb? Explain how this theory works. Why are the Finches at the top of this “chain”?</p><p>7. What is the reason Boo Radley doesn’t come out of his house, according to Jem? CHAPTER 24</p><p>1. Briefly describe the women of Maycomb.</p><p>2. How does the author reveal the fact that these women are hypocrites?</p><p>3. To whom might Miss Merriweather be referring when she says that there are some “good but misguided people in this town”?</p><p>4. What does Miss Maudie mean when she says, “His food doesn’t stick going down, does it?”</p><p>5. Why does Scout like men better than women?</p><p>6. What news does Atticus bring to Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia? Explain what happened.</p><p>7. What does Miss Maudie mean when she says that the town is “paying the highest tribute” to Atticus?</p><p>8. Why do Aunt Alexandra and Scout pretend that nothing is wrong when they return to the ladies?</p><p>CHAPTER 25</p><p>1. Why won’t Jem let Scout kill the roly-poly?</p><p>2. How did Tom’s wife react to the news of Tom’s death, according to Dill?</p><p>3. What is Maycomb’s reaction to Tom’s death?</p><p>4. What is Mr. Underwood’s editorial about? Why does he claim it was a “senseless killing”?</p><p>CHAPTER 26</p><p>1. What is Cecil’s current event about?</p><p>2. What is ironic about the discussion concerning Hitler’s persecution of Jews in Scout’s class?</p><p>3. How does Jem react when Scout tells him about overhearing Miss Gates at the courthouse?</p><p>4. Why do you think he reacts this way?</p><p>CHAPTER 27</p><p>1. What happened to Mr. Ewell that October?</p><p>2. What happens to Judge Taylor?</p><p>3. How does Mr. Link Deas help Helen Robinson?</p><p>4. What happened on Halloween night last year to Misses Tutti and Frutti?</p><p>5. What is Scout’s Halloween costume this year? Why?</p><p>6. The last sentence, “Thus began our long journey together” is a bit of foreshadowing. Predict what you think might happen. CHAPTER 28</p><p>1. Describe the weather at the beginning of the chapter. How might the weather contribute to the mood of the story?</p><p>2. Who jumps out and scares Jem and Scout?</p><p>3. How does Scout “ruin” Miss Merriweather’s pageant?</p><p>4. Why are Jem and Scout the last ones to leave the party?</p><p>5. What saves Scout from being badly injured during the attack?</p><p>6. What happens to Bob Ewell?</p><p>CHAPTER 29</p><p>1. Why aren’t Atticus and Aunt Alexandra able to hear the children outside?</p><p>2. What does Scout hear after Jem tries dragging Scout to safety?</p><p>3. Describe Boo Radley.</p><p>4. How do you think Scout recognizes Boo Radley even though she has never seen him before?</p><p>CHAPTER 30</p><p>1. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?</p><p>2. How does Heck Tate say that Ewell was killed?</p><p>3. Why does Atticus argue with Tate about how Ewell was killed?</p><p>4. What does Atticus finally realize?</p><p>5. To whom is Tate referring when he says, “. . . taking the man that has done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin”?</p><p>6. What do you think Scout means when she says that it would be like “shooting a mockingbird”?</p><p>CHAPTER 31</p><p>1. Why does Boo want Scout to take him home? Considering his age, what is unusual about his request?</p><p>2. What is significant about Scout looking at the world from the Radley porch?</p><p>3. Why do you think the author ended the book with the line, “Most people are nice, Scout, when you finally see them.” To whom is Atticus referring?</p><p>4. What is a theme of this novel?</p>